1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the field of animal husbandry and more specifically relates to a feeder for dispensing hay to a horse or similar grazing animal.
2. The Prior Art
A typical horse feeder of the prior art includes a basin surmounted by a grille for holding the hay. In these prior art feeders, the hay is loaded into the feeder through the top of the feeder, and the horse is expected to pull the hay through the bars of the grille. The basin serves to catch some of the hay which would otherwise fall to the ground and be wasted.
In these prior art feeders, the grille almost invariably sloped downwardly and away from the horse, i.e., toward the rear of the feeder.
Prior art feeders of this type are shown in the following patents: U.S. Pat. No. 3,362,382 issued Jan. 9, 1968 to Frasier; U.S. Pat. No. 493,040 issued Mar. 7, 1893 to Morse; U.S. Pat. No. 287,771 issued Jan. 13, 1987 to Kimble; and, U.S. Pat. No. 232,848 issued Sept. 17, 1974 to Barton, et al. Because the grilles in these prior art feeders sloped downwardly away from the horse, it was necessary, or at least desirable, to mount the feeder five or six feet above the ground to provide easier access by the horse to the hay behind the grille, and also to prevent the horse from pulling the entire flake of hay through the open top of the grille. The entire flake falls to the ground, and when the horse feeds from the ground he runs the risk of sand colic, unsanitary conditions, and generally poor feed utilization resulting in waste.
Unfortunately, the inward slant of the grille, combined with the height of the feeder practically assured that the horse would be looking up at the grille, with the result that bits of hay would fall into the horse's eyes and ears, irritating him. Under these circumstances, the horse could be expected to become annoyed and to pull the flake from the feeder.